Portrait of Hans – A Farewell in Sepia by Peter Engels 🔴

Hans – Portrait Painting by Peter Engels

Some portraits are more than art. They are farewells, tributes, and quiet celebrations of a life well lived. Hans is one such painting.

Peter Engels first met Hans at the local hockey club. Hans was the manager, Peter a hockey player. A shared appreciation for a good Havana brought them together, and soon they were working side by side on the club’s communications, marketing, and brand identity. At the time, this was still uncharted territory for small Belgian hockey clubs. But Hans had a vision, and the tenacity to realise it. He didn’t just raise the club to Olympic standards. He helped launch world-class players who would later shine on the international stage.

As time went on, Hans and Peter became neighbors. When Hans eventually moved into the same street, he joked, “Now I only have to cross the road for a quick business meeting and a coffee.” Familiar, close, and always with a smile.

When Hans’ health began to decline, their meetings grew less frequent. Still, the bond remained. One day, Hans messaged Peter after spotting his yellow Mustang in town. He immediately recognised the exact shade, Springtime Yellow, because he’d once owned the same model and color himself.

Not long after, Hans made a heartfelt request. He asked Peter to paint his portrait. Not for himself, but as a gift for his wife. The timing was urgent. Hans had only weeks left to live. Peter set everything else aside and worked day and night to complete the painting in time.

He did.

The reveal was quiet, powerful and deliberate. It was a conscious farewell, shared between two friends who knew it might be their last meeting. The painting became a moment of connection, presence, and grace.

At Hans’ funeral, the portrait stood at the entrance, calm and dignified, like Hans himself. It watched over a celebration of life, filled with stories, music, laughter, and hundreds of photos shared by family and friends.

Painted in Peter Engels’ signature sepia tones, Hans looks straight at the viewer, warm, witty, intelligent, and unmistakably himself. Jovial, entrepreneurial, always open to new ideas, and always kind.

And today would have been his birthday.

Happy birthday, Hans.